Fastener for floor-coverings.



R. F. GROMLEIGH.

PASTENER FOR FLOOR GOVERINGS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

noantoz UNITED STATES PA ENT OFFICE.

ROLLAND F. CROMLEIGH, OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CHESTER C. BASHORE, OF GARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FASTENER FOR FLOOR-COVERINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed. April 13, 1909. Serial No. 489,753.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R LLAND F. (31201!- LEIGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carlisle, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fasteners for Floor-Coverings and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to devices for securing together sections of fioor-covering; and it is especially applicable for use with a floor-covering of the character of linoleum.

One object of the invention is to provide fasteners that can be used to secure together strips of floor-covering and at the same time leave such covering unattached to the floor so that it can move thereon in accommodating itself to changes in position occasioned by use.

Other objects are to provide a device of the foregoing character that will not perforate the linoleum; to provide a device that will afford a bearing surface upon both sides of the linoleum; and to provide aninexpensive fastener that can be stamped out of sheet material in one piece and in one operation.

The invention contemplates the provision of fasteners to be applied at a number of places along the meeting edges of strips of floor-covering, such as linoleum, to secure the strips together.

The invention provides such a fastener having upper and lower plates or portions between which the opposed edges of the strips are inserted, and having also spurs which enter the strips. Sections of linoleum can be thus fastened together without securing either the fasteners or the linoleum to the floor; wherefore the entire covering of linoleum will be free to move over the floor. This is a material advantage as linoleum when laid on the floor will stretch or creep as a result of being walked upon; and if it be tacked or similarly secured to the floor, this creeping movement will cause the linoleum to bulge between the points where it is thus held stationary. Further, as tacks, staples or like devices, not only hold the linoleum stationary on the floor but also pass through and perforate it, the linoleum will not only bulge but will also break at the places where it is thus perforated and held stationary. The fasteners being ap lied to abutting edges of the strips at sufficiently frequent intervals also hold the opposed edges of the strips in horizontal alinement.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 shows the application of the invention in joining the edges of several sections of linoleum. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a portion of the reverse side of the floor-covering illustrated in Fig. l and taken to show one of the fasteners in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on the line IVIV of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the device is stamped, the full lines indicating the places where the metal is sheared, and the dotted lines indicating the lines along which the metal is bent to form the fastener ready for use. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a fastener ready for use.

1 indicates the fasteners, and 2, 3 and 4 sections or strips of linoleum connected by the fasteners. The fasteners 1, preferably formed by being struck in a single piece out of a sheet of metal, provide opposite and substantially parallel plates or portions 5 and 6 joined by a connection or tongues 7, and spaced sufliciently apart to permit the insertion therebetween of the sections of linoleum or other material to be connected. The bottom plate 5 is shown provided with spurs or teeth 8 which project toward the top plate 6.

The type of fastener illustrated is formed by shearing a metal blank along the outline shown by the full lines 9 (Fig. 5) to form the portion or plate 6, and also along the lines 10 to form the spurs or teeth 8, and by forcing the spurs 8 and the plate 6 outwardly from the plate 5 until the spurs and tongues 7 are approximately Vertical and the plate 6 approximately parallel to the plate 5. This is accomplished by bending the tongues 7 at their connections to the bottom plate, along the dotted lines 11 and also at their connection to the top plate along the dotted lines 12. This leaves both plates extending to opposite sides of the tongues 7 As the tongues can be brought from their original horizontal position to a vertical one, it is evident that the distance of the top plate from the bottom plate can be varied by bending the tongues more or less toward a vertical position. This enables the fasteners to be readily adapted to varying thickness of material; and it also enables the top plate 6 to be pressed down upon the material inserted between it and the lower plate 5 if desired.

In use a number of the fasteners are employed to connect together the abutting edges of strips of floor covering at various places along the seams; the strips being entered between the plates 5 and G and abutted against opposite sides of the tongues 7, the plates 5 being underneath the linoleum and resting on the floor, and the plates 6 being on top and exposed to view, and the spurs 8 entering the cloth-back of the adjacent sections of linoleum holding the sections firmly together, yet permitting their ready disengagement and removal when desirable or necessary. lVith the floor-covering thus connected, it is, as before explained, free to move on the floor when stretched or moved by use, and it will therefore always preserve a smooth even floor with smooth edges; and, as the fasteners obviate the usual breaking of the linoleum at the places where tacked, their use results in a saving of floor covering.

The fasteners are simple in construction, strong and durable in use, inexpensive in manufacture. They can be readily applied to the floor-covering without the use of tools, and can be easily and quickly removed without injuring the linoleum or the floor; and when in place present a neat and pleasing appearance.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting the application of my invention to use in connection with floor-covering solely, as obviously, it may be used in connecting other forms of sheet material, for example, building and roofing papers.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. A fastener formed of a single bottom plate and a top plate and an intermediate connection joining the plates, the plates extending to opposite sides of the connection and adapted to receive between them and secure together sections of sheet material inserted from opposite sides of the connection.

2. A fastener formed in a single piece and comprising a single bottom plate, a top plate, a connection joining the bottom and top plates intermediate their ends, and spurs projecting inwardly from one of the plates 7 toward the other.

8. A fastener adapted to be stamped in a single piece out of sheet material and comprising a plate sheared to leave a portion within the confines of the plate and connected thereto by tongues, said portion being positioned approximately parallel with the plate by bending the tongues at their connection to the plate and to said sheared portion, said portion when so positioned forming a member between which and the plate the sections of material to be connected are inserted.

4. A fastener adapted to be stamped in a single piece out of sheet metal and compris ing a plate 5 sheared as at 9 to form a plate 6 connected thereto by tongues 7 and slit also as at 10 to form teeth 8, the plate 6 being positioned for use by bending the tongues at 11 and 12 and the teeth being positioned by bending them toward the plate 6.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

HOLLAND F. CROMLEIGH. lVitnesses HARRY M. LEIDIGH, S. J. MINNIoH. 

